In 2007 a research firm estimated the value of unused gift cards in the U.S. at $8 billion for 2006. So where are your giftcards, the ones you received for Christmas or your birthday last year? Are they hiding in your desk? In your wallet or purse? Or do you have no clue? I have a single drawer where all of them are kept and I think I seriously counted 16 cards the other day. This my friends is FREE MONEY. I will not succumb to the $8 billion statistic, I use my cards with zeal and purpose. Take a moment right now and see if you can collect all of your unused giftcards into one location and then take stock of what you have. Typically there is a phone number listed so you can find the remaining value of each. My husband likes to write the value, using a Sharpie pen, across the front. If the card is subsequently used he crosses out the old value and writes the new one.In my drawer I have a few giftcards for restaurants, this is like a double treat, as each will become the basis for a future date....without paying the dinner bill! Coffee cards tend to stay in my wallet, but due to lack of space I simply cannot tote my entire giftcard collection.
My hope is that we would all enjoy using the many gifts we have been given, instead of giving the companies who issued these cards a windfall. Take time to locate, assess, and then determine how you might spend them in the near future. I was recently able to enjoy a manicure, which is something that is not in the current budget but was a fun treat thanks to a birthday gift card. This weekend my husband and I will be enjoying both dinner and a movie courtesy of our giftcards. And last week I went to Home Depot and bought new door mats, something I had been meaning to do and when I realized that I had a giftcard to support the purchase it was the perfect time! So start digging for your very own "Free Money". Looking forward to hearing what you might have unearthed.
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2 comments:
Hi Anneke! You must have read my mind b/c I made a big pile of gift cards last night and transferred them to my wallet so I will actually use them. I am going to grab a latte at Starbucks, buy that thing to fix the back door at Home Depot, shop for the kids' B-days at REI and Borders and then buy a new outfit at Banana Republic for my evening out at Anthonys!
By the way, I'm in the process of starting my own blog and figured I better start following some other cool blogs to pick up some tips so I'm one of your "Followers" now!
I'm pretty good at tracking my gift cards and keeping them in my wallet because I typically don't end up with more than a few at a time. Now that I'm planning my wedding, our gifts of choice are gift cards (mostly Home Depot, Target, and the like since our life revolves around our home and practical needs). Dave and I are merging our two lives and find that we have two of just about everything. We don't need another rice cooker or knick-knack to dust until it lands in a garage sell and eventual landfill. I'm looking forward to the gift cards! And tracking them, Sharpie style!
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